Welcome to Trouble Free Pool

We would like to welcome you to TFP, the webs leading Pool related website. We invite you to please Register to create a new account. Doing this will give you full access to the forums, where you will be able to receive personalized advice concerning your pool. We hope to see you soon!

Getting the clear water back...

Okay, so I don't really know where to post this topic. I am going to start here since it may or may not involve algae.

This is our second year as pool owners and it has really been great up until a few weeks ago. Our chemical levels generally stay pretty steady. A few weeks ago I noticed a lot more dirt in our pool than usual. I could not figure out what the issue was. It hadn't even rained. So I am at home during the day one week and I hear a kid on a four wheeler on a cleared lot next door. I run outside and he is stirring up a ton of dust. I found the owner and asked to him to tell the kid to stop. The kid hasn't been back. But my pool ended up with a ton of dirt in it. For the past 2-3 weeks, we have done nothing by vacuum to waste, refill water, vacuum to waster, refill....etc....

Now we got it fairly clean (or so we thought), and I come home one day and notice that my wife had not turned the filter on (we generally turn it on in the mornings before work and turn it off in the evenings when we get home). The next day she vacuums to filter but when she gets done, she never lets the pump run the rest of the day. This happened like 3 days in a row. I finally told her that she has got to allow the pump to run.

Now we have so much dirt in the pool it's RIDICULOUS!! You can't even see the bottom of the deep end because the water is so dirty. Almost a greenish tint to it (but it's mainly from the water being so dirty I believe). I added Floc (or drop out I think is what this was called) 2 nights ago. I vacuumed to waste last night and it got a lot of the dirt up but we still have some vacuuming to go. I am stuck....I don't know what to do. What is my next course of action??

Re: Getting the clear water back...

Will do. I haven't had it tested the last couple of weeks because we have been trying to get all of this dirt out. I had just added chemicals before all of this happened. I will post up results as soon as I get some more current ones. Sorry.

Re: Getting the clear water back...

Yep, get those test results and we can help. Your FC has been low I bet,and you are seeing the start of an algae bloom quite likely. Testing FC is essential and two weeks will get you green for sure. Just curious why you vac to waste only, instead of filtering.

Re: Getting the clear water back...

Originally Posted by Brushpup

Yep, get those test results and we can help. Your FC has been low I bet,and you are seeing the start of an algae bloom quite likely. Testing FC is essential and two weeks will get you green for sure. Just curious why you vac to waste only, instead of filtering.

I will get it tested first thing tomorrow. As for the vacuuming, we normally just vacuum to filter but this dirt is so fine that if makes it's way back into the pool via the returns if we don't send it to waste. I remember when we first had it installed, we got a lot of this dirt in the pool and would vacuum in to filter and never could get it out. When I did some research, I read the best way to get that out is to waste. That's not our normal process with routine vacuums.

I have thought about buying some of the bags to put over the returns, but the ones I looked at were kind of expensive and we have 4 returns in our pool

Getting the clear water back...

Is it possible that the kids you asked to go away is now stopping by to throw dirt over the fence and into the pool? Try adding a simple tarp over the pool to see if you have an issue with the kid throwing dirt.

Re: Getting the clear water back...

Originally Posted by techguy

Is it possible that the kids you asked to go away is now stopping by to throw dirt over the fence and into the pool? Try adding a simple tarp over the pool to see if you have an issue with the kid throwing dirt.

I don't think so. The kid isn't really malicious. He didn't even realize that riding on that lot was doing anything. He wasn't doing it on purpose. That and my wife only works like 3 nights a week and she is home most days. I have thought about some kind of cover for next year along with some bags for the returns, but we will see.

Re: Getting the clear water back...

While the bags may help remove some of the dirt. There is still the large question as to whether your water is balanced or not and allowing algae to start. Pool Store test results are not worth what you pay for them (which is usually $0). Order one of the Recommended Test Kits and take control of the pool ... as it sounds like you are may be relying on the pool store.

Re: Getting the clear water back...

True, I missed my chance...

If you are investing in Slime Bags... you need to buy a test kit FIRST.

With a test kit, you can simply avoid the need to use a SlimeBag by effectively managing your pool by doing your own testing and making decisions based on fact... and not what is overstocked on the shelf this week.

Re: Getting the clear water back...

Originally Posted by jblizzle

While the bags may help remove some of the dirt. There is still the large question as to whether your water is balanced or not and allowing algae to start. Pool Store test results are not worth what you pay for them (which is usually $0). Order one of the Recommended Test Kits and take control of the pool ... as it sounds like you are may be relying on the pool store.

I've got a test kit guys. I never seem to get very accurate results (I'm saying it's my fault, not the kit). I will use my test kit tonight and post my findings and see what you guys think.

Re: Getting the clear water back...

Originally Posted by TN94z

Originally Posted by jblizzle

While the bags may help remove some of the dirt. There is still the large question as to whether your water is balanced or not and allowing algae to start. Pool Store test results are not worth what you pay for them (which is usually $0). Order one of the Recommended Test Kits and take control of the pool ... as it sounds like you are may be relying on the pool store.

I've got a test kit guys. I never seem to get very accurate results (I'm saying it's my fault, not the kit). I will use my test kit tonight and post my findings and see what you guys think.

What kind of test kit do you have? If you don't have the TF100, you don't have a test kit.

Re: Getting the clear water back...

Originally Posted by Tanner M

Originally Posted by TN94z

Originally Posted by jblizzle

While the bags may help remove some of the dirt. There is still the large question as to whether your water is balanced or not and allowing algae to start. Pool Store test results are not worth what you pay for them (which is usually $0). Order one of the Recommended Test Kits and take control of the pool ... as it sounds like you are may be relying on the pool store.

I've got a test kit guys. I never seem to get very accurate results (I'm saying it's my fault, not the kit). I will use my test kit tonight and post my findings and see what you guys think.

What kind of test kit do you have? If you don't have the TF100, you don't have a test kit.

I have the TF100. It was one of the first things I bought once the pool was installed

Re: Getting the clear water back...

LOL ... who says the digital system has been properly maintained and calibrated???
And if all it is doing is reading the color off or a worthless test strip that is not believable anyway, why trust it?

Trust your own good test kit. The results are more accurate and generally repeatable.